More thought needed on ELOST

believe in public education! I also believe sales taxes are the only fair taxes. I have supported every ELOST ever offered in Rome and Floyd County, raising money for the promotion of the first one, serving on the committee for others and serving as city co-chair of the Rome-Floyd Citizens for Better Schools committee for the current ELOST.

I have also served as PTO President, school council member, band booster president and other positions within the city schools. My wife is a retired public school educator and our children attended Rome City Schools.

So it pains me to say that I will vote against the ELOST on the Nov. 7 ballot primarily because I oppose the building at Rome High that is on the list of projects. Administrators and school staff want you to believe it is a college and career academy, but it is less that as it is an athletic building. We do need more classrooms and there are some spaces in the proposed building that might serve as classrooms, but it is primarily an athletic building and the administrators know it and are not being honest with the public.

Prior to this list being assembled the two systems were offered land to build a joint, new college and career academy and the city rejected the offer saying they wanted their own. Then this proposal is offered and it is more an athletic building, not a CCA.

Even though there are needed and worthy projects on the list, the current tax does not expire until March 31, 2019. This means the two systems could go back to the table (city primarily when a new board is seated in January) and come up with much more practical construction projects, projects that benefit the most number of students and not only a few.

I have struggled with this decision because of my belief in — and past support for — public education, especially Rome. But with the city board elections looming, we will have a new Rome City board in January, perhaps radically new! We should vote against this package, allow the new Rome Board of Education to take office and not be in a rush to pull the wool over the voters’ eyes. Hal M. Storey

Rome

Iam writing a letter to inform people about “Obamacare.” It is really the Affordable Care Act. I just experienced an ordeal that would have stopped a lot of people from even considering the coverage it provides. In fact, it happened to me. Let me tell you the entire story.

On Aug. 7, 2015, I decided to retire and return to college for a second degree. The good thing was I was able to obtain the “Affordable Care” coverage, President Obama’s signature legislation, with better rates and coverage with a lower premium. This continued throughout my college tenure of 11 months.

Two years later, I received a notice that my premium would increase to $888.88 a month. There was a jump from $22 to $888.88 a month. I was shocked. I called several times and was told that I had to pay this or lose my coverage.

I want to give thanks to all of my teachers who always encouraged me to read for myself. I read the part about appealing the decision for the increase. This I did by writing a letter and explaining what I felt was an injustice. I had received several letters since December 2016 requesting information for me to submit. I did and I kept every bit of correspondence that was sent to me and all that I submitted to them.

On June 14 this year, I received another letter stating that my insurance would be increasing once again. I called Congressman Graves and spoke with his assistant, who gave me the number of the GA Cares who could assist me. I called and sent in all of my paperwork. We then called the marketplace and explained the situation. They suggested that I send them all of my paperwork but in the meantime, I would have to pay the $888.88 a month for coverage. As I was faxing the information, I read a clause stating that if an appeal process is taking place, you would submit your payment amount until a decision has been made.

The Affordable Care Act admitted that an error had been made, and now instead of paying $888.88 a month for insurance, I pay $80. The person who was working for the insurance company did not know that, either, so when I mailed my premium in I sent the letter with the information about the appeal process and highlighted the part about paying the same premium until a decision is made. I saved myself a lot of money. So, the Affordable Care Act or “Obamacare” does work. If you are entitled to it, use it.

IOuida Sams Rome was driving to Atlanta last week and began singing some songs I remember from my youth. About the same time I turned on my radio and the news of situations and conditions all around the world came blaring into my ears and heart. I turned the radio off and began singing a song I learned as a child.

“Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are all precious in his sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.”

That is the gospel truth. Yet it is a known fact and evident truth that all of God’s children do not love one another.

We hear and read daily in the newspapers, radio, TV, internet statements like “White Supremacy” and “Black Lives Matter.”

The reality is that no one is supreme over anyone else. The reality is that all lives matter. Another fact that I have noticed is that when a person, red and yellow, black or white, is injured, we all bleed red. When we hurt, we all have pain. Pain has no color.

Our society has developed a philosophy that, “If you do not agree with me, I am against you. I am not going to listen to you or give you a chance to express your feelings. I am going to shout you down and shut you up.”

There is a solution to these issues. The solution and answer is found in God’s Word. He says to us, “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord,” Isaiah 1:18. He also says to us, “In all that you say and do encourage one another and build each other up,” 1 Thessalonians 5:11.

There is another, secular song that was popular some time ago and should speak to us at this time.

“What the world needs now is love, sweet love. It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of. What the world needs now is love, sweet love. Not just for some but everyone.” Dr. William Flanagan

Rome